Book of Divine Science (5e Equipment)
Wondrous Item (Bludgeoning), artifact
It appears to be is just a plain green heavily bound book with no writing of any kind on the cover, only a symbol, inscribed with gold foil depicting a warped spiral surrounded by the points of an unmarked compass rose. The text on the pages of the book is written in common characters, the words do not match any known language, but do possess the consistency of a language or cypher. Any creature possessing class levels who reads this book all the way through for 1d4 hours must make a saving throw in the GM's choice of; Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma, against its own ability score. If the check succeeds the creature gains access to the Tandem Leveling boon, if the check fails the reader suffers from the Obsession curse.
Random Properties. The Book of Divine Science has the following random properties:
- 1 major beneficial property
- 2 minor detrimental properties
Enigmatic: This item is immune to all forms of magical analysis and cannot be identified with a spell, it must be read in order to reveal effects. Only creatures who have successfully read the book know the title. Any attempt to annotate, underline, highlight, print, illustrate, doodle, cross out, erase, tear or otherwise add, subtract, or make alterations to the text will hasten the premature expiry of the writing implement concerned, and any writing added or removed will be restored to it's previous state, within 1d10 hours, and 1d30 minutes, unless the book is fully destroyed before then...
Obsession: If the ability check fails the creature cannot take a long rest for 72 hours and must maintain continual action or movement when not engaged in short rest, during which they can only restore half of the health from their hit die. The creature cannot read any text for the duration of the obsession, any attempt to read anything, including its own spell books or scrolls will increase the duration of the of the obsession by 1d12 hours. The creature may only attempt to read the Book of Divine Science again after the Obsession has ended.
Risk Of Madness: If the ability check succeeds and the reader refuses the Tandem Leveling boon it will be subjected to a random or GM selected Madness, according to the established setting rules on Madness, or those found in the Dungeon Masters's guide.
Tandem Leveling: If the boon is accepted the reader of The Book of Divine Science adds Tandem Leveling to its traits. With the Tandem Leveling boon experience points become an expendable currency that can be expended on levels in multiple classes, allowing skills and spells from any class to be learned and practiced the creature can keep ability score increases, hit dice features and traits from their prior multiclassing experience, when applicable, however the creature must choose one primary class going forward and will gain ability score increases, hit dice, features, and spell slots, as well as spells skills and proficiencies from its chosen primary class. Any other classes the creature trains in will be considered secondary classes. A Tandem Leveler can learn spells, skills, and proficiencies from secondary classes, and cannot gain traits features or hit dice from secondary classes, if the creature is Human it can gain one skill proficiency for every 4 ability score increases listed in secondary classes, non-humans will gain nothing from ability score increases in secondary classes, but can instead gain one starter skill proficiency from a secondary class by advancing it to 20th level. Tandem Leveler's character level will be considered equal to it's primary class level. Advancing primary class costs as many experience as it takes to reach the next character level, while advancing a secondary class costs 50,000 experience points, for a normal character, or 300,000, experience points for Epic Characters. All experience points gained prior to accepting Tandem Leveling will be considered expended, as they have already granted level advancement. At GM's discretion a Tandem Leveler may expend 50,000 experience points to unlock one trait or feature from a lower level of a secondary class.
Equip-able Weapon: The Book of Divine Science can be equipped as a simple Bludgeoning weapon, this book is not considered to be an improvised weapon. For melee attacks at 2'-3' the Book of Divine Science deals 1d4 Bludgeoning damage, if the damage is 4, it has a 25% chance to knock the target down, (roll 1d4 to determine if knockdown is successful). At a range of touch-1' the Book of Divine Science deals 1d6 Bludgeoning damage, if the damage is 6, it has a 100% chance to knock the target down. If thrown the Book of Divine Science deals 1d4 Bludgeoning damage, if the damage dealt is 1 it falls at the feet of the target after impact, if the damage is 2-3 it instantaneously returns to the feet of the thrower on impact, if the damage is 4 it detonates into white, green, and gold confetti on impact, dealing 2 slashing damage to the target, and destroying the Book of Divine Science.
Destroying the Book of Divine Science. This book is impervious to all magic besides Fire, it can be destroyed by fire or any other mundane means, however, if destroyed it will reappear in another place and time; be it past, future, or contemporaneous with the book's destruction, anywhere in the multiverse. Those affected by its power will retain any benefits they have gained, however any detriments will be annulled. GM decides where and when the book reappears, this decision need only be made if the GM intends the existence of the book to again affect the party's adventure, or a different party's adventure... The Book of Divine Science has 12 hp and an ac of 11.
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